Chapter one
Koshie and her mother lived in Koforidua, in the Eastern region of Ghana in a house they toiled to build for themselves several years ago. It took shape gradually from a small hut into a huge mansion. Just after the house was completed, Koshie lost her father to a terminal disease. The doctors believe he contracted the illness from the area perhaps through direct contact with an infected person. The neighbour who introduced them to the neighbourhood also died mysteriously. Investigations led them to no valid conclusions. Before passing on, the neighbour willed his cat to a friend of his and asked him to give one of its kittens to Koshie, his neighbour's daughter when his cat delivered. At the time of his death, the cat was heavily pregnant. This friend fulfilled his late neighbour's last wish and brought Koshie a beautiful female kitten whom she named Paddie because she always kept her company and took her father's place. 'Paddie' is a slang term that means a close friend. She even kept her in her sheets when she was sleeping to keep her warm. Because it was a mountainous area, it was mostly cold at night and foggy in the morning. Rain clouds also formed easily so it was always drizzling or raining moderately. Paddie loved to chase mice away when Koshie was not looking and would lie quietly beside her as if nothing had happened when she had her eyes on her. In a bid to chase a few mice away from the compound, Paddie happened to stray further away as she got lost in her pursuit.
It was cold and foggy as usual, and after several hours of sleep, Koshie woke up to a shrill noise in the background. It was so piercing that she could no longer sleep. Her body shook like a leaf under the influence of a whirlwind. She could not fathom what could affect her so much. She rubbed her eyes, stretched her hands beyond her head, and gave a loud yawn, enough to wake up a whole neighbourhood. The first thing she always did in the morning was to brush her teeth, take her breakfast, play with Paddie, and help her mother get her food ready. She would then pack the food into her lunch bag and kiss her goodbye. Today, her routine was not complete without playing with Paddie. She was distraught. She peered under her bed where she could cuddle herself and sleep sometimes but she was not there. She rushed straight to the kitchen where Paddie sometimes yearned for her milk, dropping utensils on the floor as she did so. She waited to hear the noise of utensils and groceries scattering everywhere. Unfortunately, she did not. Where could Paddie have gone? She hoped she had not strayed too far. She hardly went further than their gate but she feared that this time, she might have.
It would be very exacting to search for her alone if that was the case. She consoled herself however with the fact that Paddie had strayed away the previous day, only to be found in the kitchen. Howbeit, this time around, she seemed to have strayed further, perhaps, beyond her reach. She was inconsolable. She frantically sought clues everywhere. The first question she asked herself was: Could the noise that just woke her up from her sleep have come from its captor? Could it be coming for her, too? Perhaps not. She was too big to be a target.
She loved Paddie so much that her thoughts brought her much sorrow. Sleep, which could have helped wash her sorrows away, eluded her so fast that she woke up so early in the morning. It was about four a.m. the next morning when she jumped out of bed and began to reluctantly brush her teeth, feeling so sorry for herself. Perhaps she might continue her sleep in school because her eyes were still heavy. Life had treated her so unfairly that she wished the days would cease for her sake so she could rest in the bosom of her father. If only she could turn back the tides of time to see Paddie again! As she looked out of her window, she saw a moving truck suddenly appear next door. Could this turn her attention from her sorrowful thoughts to something more profitable?
She was eager to find out why a truck would pull up at this unholy hour. Perhaps, curiousity would take the place of sorrow. Could someone have found Paddie and was kind enough to return her? Without thinking about the question, she just asked:
"Is the truck bringing Paddie? Mummy?"
"You never told me Paddie was missing," she replied. "I don't think this is the kind of truck that carries stray cats. It's quite early in the morning. Perhaps she may be taking a stroll."
"Paddie would never go on a stroll without me!" she protested.
"Don't be so sure of yourself, my dear,"
Koshie goggled so hard at her mother that she felt engulfed with a guilty conscience.
"I didn't have anything to do with it, my dear," raising up her hands in despair. "I know I said you should reduce the number of hours you spent with her but I had nothing to do with her disappearance." Koshie rubbed her eyes instinctively, hurting them as a result.
"Ouch!" she winced. By the time she felt better, the truck was out of sight.
She had lost track of its activities as she nursed her injury. The items she saw and heard the men offloading were also no longer where they placed them. That was fast? She thought.
"Where did the truck go, Mum?" she asked.
"Which one, my dear?"
"Oh, Mum! I asked you about a truck I thought was carrying Paddie."
"And you were accusing me of taking her away. Yes. I did see it going away," she said. "Why would I be concerned about someone returning her if I did so?"
"I'm sorry Mum," she said, with chagrin.
"Why would a whole huge truck such as that carry a little kitten as yours' to your doorstep without knowing the owner?" she asked, surprised.
"I now see the reason why you could not sleep, my dear?" her mother said, very concerned. "You look like you have been deprived of such." She chafed her.
"You're right, Mummy," she replied. "I heard a shrill noise outside my window. It was then that I realized that she was missing. I'm still not sure where that noise came from and what exactly it was."
"I'm so sorry, Koshie." She knelt to wipe her daughter's tears. Koshie had lost her only companion after her father passed away, leaving her so morose. She did not want a repeat of losses within a short space of time. A kitten was rather expensive to purchase and it would be the same to replace.
"Did Frimpong come for it?" Koshie asked, suspecting foul play. She would do anything to find the truth behind Paddie's sudden disappearance.
"No, my dear," said her mother. "Don't think that way. You may be too superstitious. Frimpong is resting peacefully in the bosom of God. May his soul rest in perfect peace."
She made the sign of the cross and bowed her head in reverence.
"He was a good man, and he wanted you to be happy. I hope his wishes come true."
The mystery behind the double death made it difficult for people to desire to live in the house next door. Koshie heard from one of her classmates that it was haunted and that the occupants died mysteriously in a fire accident. Nobody knew who started that fire in spite of the intense investigations to find the culprit. Why would someone move in now and inherit all the trouble it brought its former occupant?
Perhaps the new tenant was either a ghostbuster himself or had no knowledge of occurrences in the house they were about to occupy. She smiled at the thought of the bizarre speculation. She knew the real reason behind the empty house. People were only speculating and giving wild explanations arousing her detective senses.
How could someone who died unexpectedly have the time to will his cat to a neighbour? Could he have set himself on fire? The thought of it suddenly gave her the creeps. She suddenly turned her attention towards something more invigorating. If she kept pondering over their speculations, she could end up becoming confused. She suddenly peered through her window again just in case she would see any sign of a human being. She did. She saw a boy about her age, about five years old, but taller. She wondered what he would be doing there all by himself without any supervision. Could he be so brave as to accompany a truck on such an unpredictable journey? That was another stimulating mystery to solve. Suddenly, she saw a man alighting from the truck. Thank goodness! The little boy was not alone after all. He was tall, dark in complexion, and very muscular. Was he an illusion or he was real? She goggled once again. If she lost sight of them, it might mean that she probably might be seeing things and might need a therapist soon. The truck disappeared from her sight just as she expected, yet the noises from their activities had not ceased. Was her mind playing games on her? Could they be ghosts who had returned to occupy their home once again? Oh! those creepy thoughts again! Why wouldn't they cease? Perhaps she had read too many books about ghosts that she was beginning to believe that they existed. As Koshie recovered from her short reverie, she noticed that the boy looked just like the man who had alighted from the truck. It must be his father then. Just as she was about to settle on that assumption, a woman suddenly emerged from the passenger seat. Very invigorating! She seemed darker in complexion than the boy and the man. Koshie ogled so hard anyone close to her might have thought she was rude. The strange woman who had appeared on the scene was dark in complexion and so was the boy's father. They looked so beautiful together. Had the little boy been a girl, Koshie would have described him as beautiful. By a twist of fate however, the boy peered at her window and waved. How was he able to see her from the distance? She waved back, wondering why it was so easy to do so without thinking. She was usually wary of strangers, yet this one was so charming and irresistible. Koshie gazed hard at him, and so did he. By staring hard at him, her mind began to play games with her. She could see his lips moving without a sound. Suddenly, it was like a whisper in her ears. She shut her ears with her fingers. He smiled at her. His impressions were too terrifying. Suddenly, Koshie felt the urge from nowhere to rush downstairs as if she had been hypnotised. She was going to take a good look at the boy. Her mother stopped her in her tracks.
"Where do you think you're going?" she asked in a hard tone.
"I just…"
How she was able to know she was going to see him? She might have saved her from being hypnotized. She suddenly snapped out of it. She stopped short in her tracks, turned back and walked submissively back to her mother. Koshie could not fathom the reason behind her mother's sternness yet, she was grateful she had come back to her senses. She obeyed her mother and sat waiting in her room, still watching the new neighbour from the window.
"What are you staring at?" asked her mother. She drew close to her and gawked in Koshie's direction. She saw the small boy busily chatting with his parents and helping with a few things he could carry into the house.
"I can see you're watching your playmate. I can imagine what's going on in that mind of yours'. The time for acquainting oneself with each other would come soon. For the meantime, school is waiting…."